NEW PLAY THING

Ace's pov 

Darkness pulsed behind my eyelids as a low throb echoed in my skull— slow at first, then pounding; violent and merciless.

I sucked in a breath. My body didn’t move. Instead, my wrists screamed when I tried. My ankles too.

Panic snapped through me so sharply I nearly choked on it. What the hell?

Rope. Thick, tight and digging into my skin and probably my bones.

Where was I?

I forced my eyes open and the room spun. I groaned softly.

Everything was blurry— shadows smeared into shadows, light bending at the edges.

My heartbeat smacked against my ribs.

Slowly, slowly, the shapes sharpened. A concrete floor, a single dull lamp above, a heavy metal door. The faint scent of smoke…

And a man, sitting on a chair not far from me; silent, still. Watching me.

My breath stuttered.

Those eyes, steel grey and almost unblinking, caught me like a snare. 

Smoke curled from the cigar between his fingers, drifting past his sharp jawline, past his impossibly high cheekbones, disappearing into the dim light above.

Nikolai, I think.

Shoulder-length dark hair, half tied back, a strand falling over his cheek. Full pink lips, barely parted as he exhaled smoke. The collar of his black button-down hung open just enough to reveal the ink creeping up to caress his neck.

He looked like some fallen deity sculpted out of shadows.

The door behind Nikolai groaned open, metal dragging on metal. I flinched hard as Ivan walked in.

God, he did look so identical to Nickolai — same steel eyes, same sharp features, same Greek-god beauty— but looser in posture, deadlier in smile. His tattoos crawled from his knuckles into his sleeves like dark vines. He moved like he owned the air around him.

And I, tied to a chair, disoriented and terrified, had no choice but to face both of them.

The memories slammed into me like a brick wall; Professor Williams begging, then blood on the floor, the masked killer, gunshots. Running into that abandoned building.

Then the Twins.

The pain in my shoulder from a bullet, the sack shoved over my head, that darkness.

Fuck my life.

I could still feel the ache, but the fact I wasn't dead from loss of blood, meant they must have at least stopped the bleeding. I couldn't tell what state my arm was in from behind the new shirt I was wearing.

Why was I here? And why wasn't I dead?

A harsh, chilling thought occurred to me and I sucked in a broken breath.

What if the killer works for them? What if this was all planned? What if I’m next for interrupting, in the most horrible way possible—

Ivan stepped closer, tilting his head, eyes gleaming like a predator who’d already decided my fate.

“Well, well,” he murmured, “the little runaway finally wakes up.”

How long had I been out for? Had it been hours, days?

All I knew was that it was definitely long enough for them to decide to kill me, but they hadn't. I didn't know whether to be relieved or even more scared at that.

I tried to speak, but my voice cracked. My plea was barely more than a rasp.

Ivan ignored the word that barely came out of my mouth. “What,” he asked slowly, “were you doing in that building?”

My mouth shook as I forced myself to speak more clearly, “I was being chased. Someone wanted to kill me.”

Ivan clicked his tongue. “They’re awfully slow, don’t you think?”

He didn't believe me. I shook my head violently. “I don’t want trouble, I swear. I— I have a job, I have school. I won’t— I won’t tell anyone I saw you. I swear. Just let me go. Please—”

I was rambling, begging, but I didn't care. There was such a slim chance I'd make it out of here and this was the only thing I could do.

Ivan cut me off with a soft, displeased hum.

“You're boring me already,” he said. “Maybe we should pick up a little experiment. Test whether our guest is really a spy or just pretending to be a trembling kitten.”

Nikolai didn’t even lift his cigar as he muttered, voice ice-cold. “You're not looking close enough, Ivan.”

What did that mean? Had he found somewhere very painful he'd like to shove a knife into?

“What?” Ivan asked. 

Nikolai stood, unfolding his bulk slowly, gracefully.

It was terrifying.

He stepped forward, just close enough for the dim light to kiss his features. His grey eyes locked with mine, unreadable and cold.

My entire body betrayed me, shivering under the weight of his softening stare. Heat climbed up my neck, my stomach tightening with confusion. 

There was fear definitely but… something else had joined the mix, something that made me surprised and not to mention, ashamed.

Oh my God... Not here, not now!

But my body had a mind of its own. 

The arousal from with the attention of such a handsome man mixed with the edge of danger was a heady mix I’d never felt before. I hardened so fucking quickly, almost to the point of pain, my mouth flooding with saliva.

Ivan’s brows shot up. “No fucking way,” he muttered.

I felt my face burn with humiliation, and that too, went straight to my dick. 

Nikolai’s eyes snapped toward him, almost irritated, as if he had been disturbed from something important.

Ivan burst into dark laughter. “Oh, Nickolai— you’re not going to believe this.”

Nikolai’s jaw tightened. “What?”

Ivan pointed lazily at me. “Our little plaything here…” He grinned wickedly, “is having an erection because of you, brother.”

My stomach dropped straight through the floor. Would they kill me for that? Tears pricked my eyes. “No— no, I’m not I swear—I’m just confused, and scared, I don’t— I don't know why I can’t help—”

Nikolai’s lip curled faintly, as he glanced back at me. I sighed, relieved he didn't look offended.

Ivan leaned forward, examining me like I was some strange creature that had fallen into his cup of tea. “You’re into men?” he asked, cocking a brow. “How cute.”

My heart hammered so hard it hurt, I wished the ground would open and swallow me. But he too didn't look offended, so that was one less reason to kill me.

Nikolai exhaled smoke sharply and moved back to his chair, sitting with a silent contemplation that made my skin crawl.

Ivan tapped his chin thoughtfully. “I have an idea.”

“I knew you would,” Nickolai said offhandedly.

I froze. I didn't like the sound of that, especially as Ivan smiled, a slow, dangerous, wicked stretch that showed his teeth 

“Please…” I whispered, tears slipping free. I was tired, so tired of feeling like every moment was going to be my last. “Please, whatever it is… I can’t… I just—”

Ivan crouched so we were eye-level, his gaze sharp enough to cut. “You’re going to do something for me,” he murmured.

“Anything,” My breath caught. “W-what… what do you want?”

His smile widened. He reached for me, and I flinched so harshly from his hands that he laughed. How could they be so pretty with everything they had done?

“So flighty,” he cooed, letting his hands fall to my throat. I shook as his fingers touched me.

Is this the end?

“What's your name, little Bird?” He asked tracing his hands down my neck and chest.

“Ace, my name is Ace. Please don't hurt me.”

“Don't you worry about that Ace,” He whispered.

I didn't know who or when but the atmosphere in the room had changed, morphed into something thicker.

I swallowed.

What was going on?